William Dillard, a former U.S. Army soldier who fought in World War II, won the gold medal in 100 meters in the1948 Olympic Games in London, on his way to becoming of the armed services’ greatest Olympic athletes.
Medgar Evers, the famed civil rights activist, was born 96 years ago this month in a small town in Mississippi. He was assassinated by a white supremacist in 1963, but his legacy has only grown in the decades since his death.
The military order that led to the federal holiday of Juneteenth was not regarded as important national news when it was issued in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865.
Wanda Whitney, the Library’s Head of History and Genealogy, Researcher and Reference Services, tells how readers can use the Library’s collections to research the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921.
Researching African American genealogical history is complicated by several factors, most notably slavery and subsequent Jim Crow policies. Use this handy resource guide to get started.
The Library now has four more original scores by jazz musician Charles Mingus, adding to our collection of his life’s work. They were donated by his widow, Sue Mingus.
Reference Librarian Candice Buchanan offers advice to researchers and family members who are interested to searching for the names and activities of women involved in the suffrage movement.
The Library recently acquired courtroom artist Mary Chaney’s sketches from the trials of Rodney King in Los Angeles from 1992-1994. The Black motorist was beaten viciously by white police officers after a high-speed chase in 1991. The acquittal of the officers in state court set off days of deadly riots and became a touchstone in American society.
No discussion around Black History Month would be complete without exploring the significant contributions of Afro-Latinos to American culture and society. Roughly 25 percent of Hispanics in the United States identify as having Black heritage and the Library showcases many of their contributions.
The Library’s newly digitized gallery of African American portraits from the late 19th and early 20th centuries showcases the lives, hopes and dreams of the famous and the forgotten of the era. Here are stories of Robert Church, Gertrude Mossell and William Pettigrew.